Princess Cruises 2023/2024 Australia, New Zealand and Asia Program Release

[Iainmac]

On 12/6/2021 at 6:46 PM, SNJCruisers said:

I need to be educated about the difference between the north and the south.  I know about the "gold coast" and the great barrier reef.  I'm 61, my DW is 51 and needs a scooter.  This trip is at the top of my "bucket list trips".  If Kangaroo Island is like the name implies, that would highly interest me, but I still need to be educated regarding the difference between the two areas.  Thank you.

Scooters.  I have been six years with a scooter on cruises and use a TravelScoot.  I've had no problems at tender ports with Princess, but the occupant must be able and be mobile enough to get on and off the tender at the ship and jetty with just the usual help from the seamen.  Lightweight and fold-up wheelchairs are also acceptable as long as the occupant is fit enough to get on and off.  In NZ the only tender ports are Bay of Islands and Akaroa.

[GUT2407]

I’ve been travelling with a power wheelchair for years, never had a problem with tendering, but am always prepared for “sorry, no wheelchairs” not sure what they’ll do with me if the ship goes down, but in the same boat (pun intended) in a building fire.

 

[Aus Traveller]

3 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

I’ve been travelling with a power wheelchair for years, never had a problem with tendering, but am always prepared for “sorry, no wheelchairs” not sure what they’ll do with me if the ship goes down, but in the same boat (pun intended) in a building fire.

 

On Princess, passengers who would need assistance to evacuate without using the lifts, are asked to register at the Reception desk. A steward would collect the person from their cabin and take them off the ship using a special wheelchair that is designed to operate on stairs. You might have seen these chairs stored near the ship's passenger staircase. From memory, they have a yellow vinyl cover.

 

If you were in a hotel, you would be on your own.

[Port Power]

On 1/22/2022 at 5:41 AM, By The Bay said:

Who would have predicted that, after 2 years, cruising has not returned to Australia? Changes to legislation required for cruising to return are held up in the two houses of Parliament, with no guarantee that it will be passed any time soon. To make matters worse, we have these comments from the leader of WA.

 

"Premier unsure when WA will be ready to open.

 

When pressed by journalists for a revised timeline on WA's border opening after it was indefinitely shelved on Thursday night, Mr McGowan said he did not know when WA would be ready to reconnect with the world."

The cruise lines also didn’t want to put up with the continual opening and closing of borders.  The impact on their itineraries would have been untenable!  Hopefully by the start of this year’s cruising season in spring, that will be behind us. (Even Western Australia should be open by then, surely?)

[By The Bay]

1 hour ago, Port Power said:

The cruise lines also didn’t want to put up with the continual opening and closing of borders.  The impact on their itineraries would have been untenable!  Hopefully by the start of this year’s cruising season in spring, that will be behind us. (Even Western Australia should be open by then, surely?)

Who knows when the border will be open to WA? Even the State Premier doesn't know, with Mark McGowen quoted as saying "he would like the third dose rate to get “above at least 80 per cent, perhaps 90 per cent”."  Good luck getting the vaccine rate up to that goal.

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, By The Bay said:

Who knows when the border will be open to WA? Even the State Premier doesn't know, with Mark McGowen quoted as saying "he would like the third dose rate to get “above at least 80 per cent, perhaps 90 per cent”."  Good luck getting the vaccine rate up to that goal.

And by that time a fourth dose will be required so he'll use that as an excuse to keep the border shut for another six months.

[NSWP]

2 hours ago, By The Bay said:

Who knows when the border will be open to WA? Even the State Premier doesn't know, with Mark McGowen quoted as saying "he would like the third dose rate to get “above at least 80 per cent, perhaps 90 per cent”."  Good luck getting the vaccine rate up to that goal.

Hardly achievable.   At this rate WA will be closed for another couple of years.

[RosieCanberra]

2 hours ago, NSWP said:

Hardly achievable.   At this rate WA will be closed for another couple of years.

 

I'm worried about this. We have a Kimberley and NT trip booked for June. We have already cancelled three WA trips the past two years. Also booked out of Fremantle March 2023 on Coral Princess. Crikey!

[NSWP]

2 hours ago, RosieCanberra said:

 

I'm worried about this. We have a Kimberley and NT trip booked for June. We have already cancelled three WA trips the past two years. Also booked out of Fremantle March 2023 on Coral Princess. Crikey!

Hope it all works out for you young Rosie.  This WA Govt is playing ducks and drakes. They are putting off the inevitable. Look what happened in the Queendom of Qld, shut the borders for 2 years now they are in a big mess with the virus, like most other States and Territories.  So that was a waste of time and effort.

Edited January 24, 2022 by NSWP

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, NSWP said:

Hope it all works out for you. This WA Govt is playing ducks and drakes. They are putting off the inevitable. Look what happened in the Queendom of Qld, shut the borders for 2 year now there are in a big mess with the virus, like most other States and Territories.  So that was a waste of time and effort.

Shutting Queensland's border wasn't totally a waste of time and effort. With very few cases of COVID in the last two years, there would be very few people in Queensland with long-COVID. In addition, keeping the border closed gave us time for the vast majority of eligible people to be vaccinated. Therefore, Queenslanders who contract COVID have a lower chance of serious illness/death.

[Docker123]

The Caledonian Sky set sail this morning from Port Phillip Bay heading towards Fremantle.

 

It will be interesting to see where she ends up.

 

[MMDown Under]

11 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

Shutting Queensland's border wasn't totally a waste of time and effort. With very few cases of COVID in the last two years, there would be very few people in Queensland with long-COVID. In addition, keeping the border closed gave us time for the vast majority of eligible people to be vaccinated. Therefore, Queenslanders who contract COVID have a lower chance of serious illness/death.

Many Queenslanders agreed with the shutting of the NSW/Qld border whilst the Covid numbers grew in the South.  We were carefree, able to live a normal life, taking holidays, supporting local businesses, etc.  In the meantime, more people got vaccinated, esp vulnerable aboriginal communities.  Now people are more cautious staying close to home, as recommended for Seniors by our Premier.  People, who can, are working from home.

Auths are still learning about Covid from overseas and locally.  Buying time like WA is a good idea.   

[lissie]

On 1/24/2022 at 6:19 PM, NSWP said:

Hope it all works out for you young Rosie.  This WA Govt is playing ducks and drakes. They are putting off the inevitable. Look what happened in the Queendom of Qld, shut the borders for 2 years now they are in a big mess with the virus, like most other States and Territories.  So that was a waste of time and effort.

Hardly - there are a lo of people not dead because of those closed borders - same as NZ 

[MMDown Under]

On 1/24/2022 at 5:03 PM, Docker123 said:

The Caledonian Sky set sail this morning from Port Phillip Bay heading towards Fremantle.

 

It will be interesting to see where she ends up.

 

Any passengers?  APT expedition cruising?